Remote-control device for latch mechanism



May 4, 1954 J. H. RoETHl-:L 2,677,567

REMOTE-CONTROL DEVICE FOR LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed March 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 4 1954 J. H. ROETHEI. n 2,677,567

REMOTE-CONTROL DEVICE FOR LATCH MECHANISM Original Filed March 5, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Y INVENToR.

/7 Trai/VEZ Patented May 4, 1954 UNITED STATE` ATENT OFFICE REMOTE-CUNTRL DEVICE FOR LATCH MECHANISM John H. Rocthel, Retrait, Mich., assigner to Roethel Engineering Corporation,

Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan 3 Claims. l

This invention relates to a remote control mechanism for operating a latch mechanism for swinging doors, particularly the doors ci automobile or other vehicle bodies, an object of the invention being to provide an improved remote control mechanism which is not only relatively small in size, simple, compact and economical to manufacture, but also durable and eicient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved inside remote controlled operating means for the latch device, such means including a button or disk-like element conveniently positioned at the inside of the door for engagement by the hands or iingers and adapted to be shifted longitudinally to actuate the latch disengaging or releasing means.

A further object of this invention is to provide improved inside remote controlled operating means for the latch mechanism, such means including a button or disk-like element which projects an 'inappreciable distance inwardly from the inside door panel of the vehicle, which has no protuberances or extensions thereon which can inadvertently snag the clothing of the vehicle occupants, and which must be moved in a substantially horizontal direction to actuate the latch disengaging or releasing means thereby eliminating the hazard oi the vehicle door being inadvertently opened by an occupant unintentionally exerting a downward pressure on the button element while attempting to brace himself during a sudden swaying motion of the vehicle.

Other objects of this invention will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken substantially through lines I--i of Fig. 3 and showing in particular the mechanism oi the door lock mounted adjacent the inner door panel.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially through lines 2-2 of Fig. l loking in the direction ci the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially through lines B-t of Fig. l looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 s a section taken substantially through lines 9--9 oi Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view, in part similar to Fig. l, illustrating an operated position of the remote control mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a modification of the remote control mechanism.

Fig.` 7 is a section taken substantially through lines 'l--l of Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a section taken substantially through lines 8 8 of Fig. '7 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention 'is not limited in its application to the details of construcion and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation.

This application is a division of my co-pending appiication, Serial Number 80,279, led on March 3, 1949, now Patent Number 2,538,913, issued January 23, 1951.

The latch device constructed in accordance with the particular embodiment of the invention herein illustrated, by way of example, is shown mounted on an automobile door having the usual inner door panel 2l terminating in a transverse jarnb edge 22 facing the fixed jamb face or edge (not shown) of the door frame post or body pillar.

The present latch device comprises a case plate 24 provided with screw bosses 24a by means of which the case plate is secured to the inner side of the jamb portion 22 of the door. The case plate terminates at its inner edge in a ange 25 facing the inner door panel 2l. The latch deice is preferably provided with a rotatable toothed latch or bolt 2t positioned at the outer face of the case plate 24, this latch or bolt having an integral projecting shaft or shank il extending through an aperture in the case plate and having a bearing in the annular hanged edge 28 of this aperture. The inner end oi the shank 21 of the bolt is flattened and extended through a correspondingly shaped aperture in a rotatable toothed detent engaging member or ratchet member 29. The reduced end of the bolt shank 2i is riveted over a washer 3!! against the inner face of the ratchet member 29. As a result of this construction the bolt 2t and ratchet member are rigidly attached together so as to turn in unison.

The rotatable latch 2S is formed with a num'- ber of radially projecting tooth-like projections 25a, such as six, which are spaced equally around the periphery of the latch so as to provide in effect a gear type latch. The ratchet member 29 is also formed around its periphery with a number of tooth-like abutments or projections 29h which correspond in number to the tooth-like projections 26a of the bolt.

Pivotally mounted on a shoulder rivet secured to the case plate 24 is a swinging detent, pawl or dog which has a downwardly extending detent arm 33 cooperable with the teeth or projections 29h of the ratchet member 23. rShe detent arm is engageable with any one of the teeth 29o in the manner shown in Fig. 3 to hold the ratchet member and, hence, the bolt 23 in locking position against rotation in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3. The detent, in the embodiment of Fig. 3, is also formed with an inwardly extending arm 34 adapted to engage a rubber bumper 34a. so as to silence impact of 'the detent arm 33 against the sides of the teeth 29h when the ratchet member 29 is rotated in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, during closing of the door. The bumper 34a is arranged so as to be engaged by the detent arm 34 slightly before the detent arm 33 goes fully home and to yield suiciently to permit full engagement of the detent arm 33 which a tooth of the ratchet member 29, as shown in Fig. 3.

The detent is also provided with an upwardly projecting arm or extension 35 and also an inwardly extending arm or extension 35. Thus, the detent in the embodiment shown in Fig. 8 is provided with four arms 33, 34, 35 and 35 and is preferably formed from a single piece of flat metal stock.

Associated with the detent is a detent actuating or release lever 31 which is pivoted at is lower end upon a shoulder rivet 38 secured to the case plate. Pivoted at 39 to the side oi the lever 31 near the upper end thereof is a detent operating link 49, this link in the present instance extending inwardly from the lever 31 and having an extension 40a overlying and normally slidingly engageable with the upper end of the detent arm 35, the link 49 thus being mounted so as to swing vertically toward and from the detent arm 35. The link 40 is formed at its lower edge with an abutment or shoulder 40h adapted to engage the upper end of the detent arm 35 when the link 40 is shifted inwardly by swinging the lever 31 inwardly.

The detent arm 33 is yieldingly urged toward the ratchet plate 29 by means of a coil spring 4| anchored to a stud 4Ia secured to the case plate, this spring having a downwardly projecting arm 41h engageable with the edge of the detent arm 33 so as to yieldingly hold the arm .f

in latching engagement with a tooth of the ratchet plate 29. The lever 31 is urged outwardly toward its normal position shown in Fig. 3 by means of a coil spring 42 anchored to the shoulder rivet 38 and having an upward extension 42a engaging behind the ange 31a on the lever 31. This lever is provided with a ange portion 31h which overlaps the spring arm 41h and prevents it from becoming disengaged from the detent arm 33. The flange portion 31a on this lever is widened for engagement by a plunger 43 which may be shifted inwardly to swing the lever 31 by any suitable manually operable means on the outside of the door such, for example, as a push button or a pull out type handle.

The present latch device is preferably operated from the inside of the door through the medium of a remote control mechanism comprising a longitudinally shiftable draft link 44 which is pivoted at 45 to the lower end of one arm 46a of a bell crank lever 46. This lever is pivoted on the shank of a shoulder rivet 41, Fig. l, secured to the case plate flange 25. The lever is provided with a projecting arm 4Gb overlying at its outer end the detent arm 36.

In accordance with the present embodiments of the invention means is provided for disconnecting the operating link 40 and release lever 31 from the detent arm 35 and also for effecting the operative connection of these parte, this being accomplished through the medium of a manually operable slide which may be shifted either by manually operable means at the inside of the door or by a key operating lock from the outside of the door. This slide, designated at 49, is embossed at its upper end to provide an outwardly extending channel shaped projection 48 notched at 48a to receive the inner end of the extension 40a of the link 40. The lower edge of the channel shaped projection 48 overlies the lever arm 46h and the latter in turn overlies the detent arm 36, see Figs. l and 3. Since the extension 49a of the operating link 40 projects within the notch 48a in the vertically shiftable slide 49, an interlocking connection is thus provided between the link extension 40a and the slide so that upward movement of the slide will raise the link 40 to disengage it from the detent arm 35 and reverse movement of the slide will position the link 40 with its abutment 4Gb in operative relation to the upper end of the detent arm. The slide 49 is guided on the case plate flange 25 by means of upper and lower headed guide studs 50 and 5l extending through vertical guide slots 52 and 53 in the slide.

The slide 49 may be shifted upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1 and downwardly to its full line position by means of a lever 54 pivotally mounted on the shank of the shoulder rivet 41. This lever has a projecting arm 54a terminating in a round end 5417 lying within the channel shaped projection 48 on the slide 49. The lever 54 also has a lever arm 54e pivotally connected at 55 to a vertically shiftable rod or plunger 56 which extends upwardly through the garnish molding at the inner side of the glass panel of the door. This rod carries at its upper end a knob 51 which may be grasped at the inside of the door to shift the plunger vertically in either direction.

From the foregoing construction it will be apparent that by pressing the knob 51 downwardly the lever 54 will be rocked, thereby raising the slide 49, and conversely when the rod 56 is pulled upwardly the slide 49 will be shifted downwardly. The slide is yieldingly held and urged toward its upper and lower limits of movement by means of a snap-over spring 58 of suitable strength attached at one end to the slide and at the opposite end to the case plate flange 25. As shown in Fig. l, the slide 49 is notched or out away at 59 to provide clearance for the detent arm 36 which in the present embodiment is free to move vertically without engaging the lower edge of the notched portion 59 in any position of the slide. Projecting outwardly from the side edge of the notch 59 in the slide 49 is a flange or lug 69 which, when the slide is shifted upwardly, is moved into position to underlie and substantially engage the lever arm 4Gb, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Thus, with the slide in its uppermost position the lever arm 4Gb will contact the lug 60 when the lever amasar arm is swung downwardly, thereby returning .the

Vslide to its lowerrnost position. The case plate .iange is provided with an aperture 6l to .receive the end of the detent arm 36, and the case plate flange is also provided with an `aperture 62 to receive the extension 40a of the operating link 40 when shifted inwardly.

Extending through a hole in the remote end of the draft link ed is a threaded stud or pin '6.3, the link being locked in position on the stud by means of a snap-on cotter pin 64 engaging in an annular groove lita in the stud 53. The inner door panel 2l is formed with an elongate aperture E5 through which the stud E3 extends, and the inner end of this stud is anchored, as shown in Fig. 2, in a hole in the lower end of a hanger link t6. The upper end of this link is .pivoted on the shank of a shoulder rivet 6l vsecured to a mounting plate S3. This plate is adjustably attached to the inner door panel 2l through the medium of screws 59 extending through adjusting slots in the mounting plate and to screw lbosses 7| on the inner door panel. Since the stud e3 is mounted on the lower end ofthe swinging link @it longitudinal movement of the stud will be in an arcuate path having its center at the axis of swinging E1 oi the link 6E. This `longitudinal movement of the stud $3 is yieldingly resisted by means of a wire spring l2 which is bent to provide a pair or' depending arms 'l2a which cross each other and engage at their lower ends opposite sides of the shank of the stud G3. The upper horizontal portion of the spring 'l2 is anchored between a retainer lug 'i3 lanced out oi the metal of the plate Se and the upper iianged edge 'lila of a retainer piece 'I4 secured in spaced relation to the mounting plate 5B by means of tongues or tabs 14h projecting through slits in the mounting plate and clinched over as shown in Fig. 1.

The inner door panel 2i is covered. in accordance with conventional practice by means oi a fabric covered 'trim panel l5. Mounted against the inner face oi the trim panel .is an escutcheon disk le which is attached in position by means .j

of tabs projecting through slots in the inner door panel clinched over. The escutcheon disk 'J6 is formed, as shown in Fig. "e, with. an arcuate slot 'il' through which the inner threaded end @3b of the stud 63 projects. Threaded onto the inner end of the stud is an annular slide button 'i3 which is preferably of suiiicient size to enable it to be readily grasped by the hand so as to shift the button 'I3 fore and aft, thereby shifting the stud 63 within the slot 'Vl in the escutcheon disk l5, this slot being covered by the slide button as shown in Fig. 4. When the slide button le is shifted to the right on the escutcheon disk it, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 5, the hanger link el? will be swung to the right against the resistance of the spring l2 and the stud 53 will also be shifted to the right within the slot 'il in the escutcheon disk and the slot S5 in the inner door panel. This will result in shifting the link i4 to the right, thereby7 rocking the bell crank lever 4t and swinging the lever arm 4th upwardly and raising the slide 49, to its dotted line position in 1 by engagement of the lever arm 4th with the bottom of the embossment 48 in the slide. Upon releasing the slide button it, after performing the above operation, the spring 'i2 will return the slide button and lever 4t to their normal positions shown in Fig. 1. Conversely upon shifting the slide outton 13 to the left in Fig. l the lever 46 will be rocked in the opposite direction, thereby depressing the lever arm 4617 and causing it to swing the 'detent arm 3E downwardly to disengage the detent 33 from the ratchet member 29, thus freeing the ratchet member and bolt and permitting the door to be opened. In the event the slide 49 has been set in its upper position either by operation of the lever 4t or the lever 54, the slide will be returned to its normal position Vupon shifting the slide button i8 to the left in Fig. 1 by engagement of the lever arm 46D with the lug -60 on the slide.

Assuming that the link 4d is in its operative position `with respect to the detent arm 35, as 'shown 'in Fig. 3, Vupward movement of the slide 49 by actuation of either the lever ed or the lever '-i will swing the link 4t upwardly by virtue of Ithe connection of the arm 46a or the link with in the notch 48a. in the channel embossment 48 vof the slide. This operation will disconnect the .link 4o from the detent arm 35 by raising the abutment h of the link above the upper end of the detent arm. When this occurs it will be apparent that the release member 35 may be pushed inwardly freely without disengaging the detent from the ratchet member 2%, since by this inward motion of the member 3T the link 4t will be free to move inwardly relatively to the detent arm 35 without imparting any disengaging motion thereto. Even though the outside release lever 31 may be disconnected from the detent arm 35 by shifting the slide 49 upwardly, the slide will be returned downwardly to its normal position to again connect the release lever with the detent by operation oi the inside remote control mechanism through the slide button 'i8 accompanied by actuation of the detent arm 36 to disengage the detent arm 33 from the toothed member 29.

In the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 6 to 8 inclusive the remote control link 44 carries a transverse pin or stud 'le slidable within a straight slot 8G in an escutcheon disk 3l which is `otherwise similar to the disk i5 and mounted on the inner door panel in a corresponding manner. lThe link 44 is `anchored in position on the pin 'i9 lby means of a snap-on cotter pin 82 extending through an annular groove in the pin 'li-l. The slide button le is threaded onto the inner end of the pin 79 and is shiftable fore and aft on the escutcheon plate 8| so as to shift the remote control link 44 fore and aft to operate the bell crank lever 45 in the manner above described. EXtending through a hole in the end of the link 44 at a point spaced from the coupling pin 'i9 is a stud 83 which riveted to the end of the link as shown in Fig. 7. This stud is slidable within a straight slot @do in a mounting plate 84 adjustably secured to the inner door panel by screws 85 threaded into screw bosses 86 in the inner door panel 2l. Longitudinal movement of the stud 83 in one direction or the other is resisted by means of a wire spring 8l having depending crossed arms Ella which engage at their lower ends opposite sides of the stud 83. The upper horizontal portion of the spring 81 is anchored in position between a lug 88 lanced out of the metal of the plate 4 and the upper hanged edge of a retainer piece 8e secured to the mounting plate by clinched over tongues 89a. It will be apparent that by shifting the slide button 'i8 fore and aft upon the esctcheon disk 3l with the Coupling pin 19 shiftable within the slot 8l) in the escutcheon disk, the remote control link 44 will be shifted in an endwise direction, and

this movementl of the link will be resisted by the spring 81 which, upon releasing the slide button l0, will return it as well as the remote control link to normal position.

Where a key controlled device is incorporated with the door lock as in the embodiment of Fig. l, the slide 49 is provided with a depending extension 49a having spaced lugs 99 and |00 pivotally receiving a rounded end IOIa of a swinging crank arm 10i. This arm is connected to the square portion |02 of a key actuated shaft, the shaft in turn being connected to the cylinder mechanism of any conventional lock having the usual key control. By turning the key in the lock on the outside of the door the crank arm |01 may be swung to shift the slide 49 vertically in one direction or the other, thereby to shift the detent operating link 40 into or out of engaged relation to the detent arm 35. The key control means for the slide 49 is usually embodied in the front door locks of an automobile body but is usually omitted from the locks used on the rear doors.

I claim:

1. A remote control device for a latch mechanism for a door having a door panel, said mechanism including a pawl-retained latch member, comprising a support adapted to be fastened to one side of the panel of the door, a member mounted at one end thereof on said support for swinging movement about an axis normal to the plane of said panel, a longitudinally extending link, pivot means connecting one end of said link to the other end of said swingable member Whereby the latter Will support and guide said one end of the link during movement thereof, the other end of said link being adapted to be connected to a lever system for releasing the pawl from said latch member, said pivot means comprising a stud having a portion thereof extending through an aperture in said panel, and means on said portion adapted to be grasped and shifted along said panel in the direction of the length of said link for shifting said link to actuate the lever system.

2. A remote control device for a latch mechanism adapted to be mounted between the inner and outer panels of a door, said mechanism including a pawl-retained latch member, comprising a support adapted to be fastened to one side of the inner panel of the door, a vertically extending member mounted at one end thereof on said support for swinging movement about an axis normal to the plane of said inner panel, a longitudinally extending link, pivot means connecting one end of said link to the other end of said swingable member whereby the latter Will support and guide said one end of the link during movement thereof, the other end of said link being adapted to be connected to a lever system for releasing the pawl from said latch member, said pivot means comprising a stud having a portion thereof extending through an aperture in said panel, and means mounted on said portion adapted to be grasped for shifting said link to actuate the lever system.

3. A remote control device for a door latch mechanism having a pawl-retained latch member, comprising a support adapted to be fastened to one side of a panel of the door, a member mounted at one end thereof on said support for swinging movement about an axis normal to the plane of said panel, a longitudinally extending link, pivot means connecting one end of said link to the other end of said swingable member whereby the latter will support and guide said one end of the link during movement thereof, the other end of said link being adapted to be connected to a lever system for releasing the pawl from said latch member, said pivot means comprising a stud having a portion thereof extending through an aperture in said panel, means mounted on said portion adapted to be grasped for shifting said link to actuate the lever system, and yieldable means mounted on said support and in engagement with said pivot means to restore said link to normal position after shiftable movement thereof.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 555,350 Wassmann Feb. 25, 1896 807,401 Ross Dec. l2, 1905 2,302,165 Anderson Nov. 17, 1942 2,362,256 Endter Nov. 7, 1944 2,393,147 Cousino Jan. 15, 1946 

